Selectmen choose negotiating team members
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Northborough - The Board of Selectmen has finalized its negotiating team and agreed on its stance regarding its disagreement with Southborough on the allocation of the state grant for the Algonquin Regional High School addition and renovation project.

The two towns have been unable to agree on how the state reimbursement should be distributed - based on the terms set forth in the school district's joint agreement between the towns or according to the method set forth in Chapter 70B. Depending on the method used, about $1.5 million more could be headed to one town rather than the other.

At its Sept. 24 meeting, the board announced that the negotiating team will consist of Selectman Jeff Amberson, Town Administrator Barry Brenner, Town Treasurer June Hubbard-Ward, Appropriations Committee member Elaine Kelly and Financial Planning Committee member Jason Perreault.

The board also decided that there is no need for the joint meeting of the two towns' Boards of Selectmen and the Regional School Committee that was set for Monday Oct. 1. The board asked Brenner to send a letter to the other parties informing them they won't be there.

In addition, the board unanimously agreed that its position on the matter is consistent with the reimbursement guidelines set forth in Chapter 70B.

Other positions discussed included: the town taking the matter to court and seeking a declarative judgment in the matter; considering Southborough's position that the regional school agreement be followed; a compromise between the two stances; or having the dollar diff erence be allocated to the school district to be dealt with directly by

" them as they see fit.

"There's really not … a lot of options," Amberson said. "Our position is the right one. The regional school agreement is moot. What to do is not spelled out in there. The school committee's reluctance to make a decision and their desire to bow out of the fray is testament to that. If what to do was spelled out in the regional school agreement then we'd already have had a decision in the matter. But since it's not, we have to default to Chapter 70B and take into account state reimbursement guidelines."

Selectmen Fran Bakstran said that no matter what the negotiating teams decide, the Regional School Committee must make a decision in the matter and the only two options on the table are Northborough's position or Southborough's position.

"They have to decide between those two options," Bakstran said.

Selectman Dawn Rand said she thinks the only other option in the matter is probably the inevitable one - litigation.

"I think no matter what, this matter is going to be decided in court," Rand said. "If the Regional School Committee decides on Northborough's stance, Southborough will take the matter to litigation. If the Regional School Committee adopts Southborough's stance, Northborough will take the matter to court.

"If somehow the two sides compromised on the matter in a way that was acceptable to both - and I don't see any possibility of that - then a citizen's action group from one of the towns will take the matter to court," Rand said.